PM Transcripts

Q.-
FOR MEDIA 4 MAY 1979
VISIT OF VICE-PRESIDENT GUNDELACH TO AUSTRALIA
The Vice-President of the E. E. C. Commission, Mr. F. O. Gundelach,
will visit Australia in the wcck commencing May 28, as guest
of the Australian Government.
Mr. Gundelach's visit is the result of an initiative I took with
President Jenkins of the E. E. C. Commission in June 1977 to
resolve trade differences between Australia and the E. E. C.
As the Commissioner within the E. E. C. Commission responsible
for agriculture, Mr. Gundelach has been a key figure in the
important bilateral trade negotiations between Australia and
the European Community in the context of the MTN. These
negotiations are expected to be finalised during the course
of Mr. Gundelach's visit.
The European Community is the world's largest trading bloc
and the policies it pursue in the agricultural area are
of critical importance to major agricultural exporting
countries like Australia.
A close working relationship has developed between Mr. Gundelach
and the Australian Minister for Special Trade Representations,
Mr. R. V. Garland, who has been personally engaged in high
level negotititions with the E. E. C. Commission and the
key Ministers in E. E. C. member states.
I am hopeful the long and difficult negotiations will produce
a settlement that provides Australia with significant
improvements in the conditions of trade in the European Community
for a number of important rural commodities, and I look
forward to meeting Mr. Gundelach during his visit.
Apart from his final round of discussions with Mr. Garland,
Mr. Gundelach will also be having discussions with the
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Resources,
Mr. Anthony, and the Minister for Primary Industry, Mr. Sinclair.
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